Red XIII
by THELASTWAFFLE
Summary: Everyone had discovered Nanaki's sordid past, but there was something he hadn't told his friends. His secrets have finally caught up with him, and now he's paying the price... all alone. One-shot... currently.


_(**A/N: **I am a huge Red XIII/Nanaki fan, and since I'm not into the whole furry business, and I wanted to create a romance fic for him [because I'm a weirdo], I decided to just take the plunge and do what I could to make him human. YAY FOR STUFF THAT NEVER ACTUALLY HAPPENED [but could have]! But... I'm not sure if I should honestly continue it. So here is a lovely one-shot for now. If you want a continuation, please review! :D )_

He writhed in the darkness, pain overcoming him as the changes consumed his body. He had not asked for this, but years of experimentation had finally taken their toll. His canine form could no longer withstand the genes that had been placed within him. His body must change or he would die.

He thought of his friends, feeling guilt that he hadn't had the bravery to tell them what was occurring, or about the pain that he had suffered through every day. He hadn't had the heart to worry them, as there had been nothing they could do. But now, hiding as he was in the caves near his homeland, he could do nothing more than let out a small whine as more pain wracked his body. He wished for a soothing hand to comfort him, but there was none.

His whines turned to shrieking howls as his pain increased, his body convulsing on the rocky cave floor. He wished for Aerith, for her presence alone had dulled the worst of the pain.

His insides boiled as if on fire- his bones molten as they changed shape. He wondered, for a split second, if he would be strong enough to make the change, or if what Hojo had done would bring him to his death. A brief, slicing pain later, and he decided he didn't care either way.

He felt his throat grow raw, and his howls slowly become the lower shrieks of a human in pain. He could not feel his body change, but he could hear it, hear the bones popping and snapping as they took new shapes. His skin seemed to bubble and sizzle as his fur was reduced and transformed into human hair.

And then all at once, all of his senses abandoned him, including the sense of touch. There was no longer any pain, but he feared that that meant his death was close. He was afraid that his organs vital for life would be next and that that would be the end.

The thought had just crossed his mind when there was an explosion of pain in the center of his chest, and he was lost to the world.

xXx

Nanaki opened his eyes, viewing the world for the first time with human eyes. His body trembled from the transformation, but he was thankful that he had passed out as soon as his heart had began to change. In fact, he was thankful that he had even survived the ordeal.

With whatever strength was left in his limbs, he tried to push himself upright. Unfortunately, he found his new limbs gangly and purposeless as he tried to prop himself up. There were too many joints, and new sensations where his paws used to be. He could feel the things called fingers grasping the hard floor of the cave, finding it to be painful as the sharp rocks bit into his palms.

He soon felt similar pain in his "knees", as they were called, as he tried to prop himself up. He hated the new way that his legs bent. It was so awkward and it impeded his movement. He instantly knew that they would slow him down, and he would no longer be able to run at the speeds he had once known.

With a breath in, he could also tell that his sense of smell had been dulled, along with his hearing, but it had been replaced with touch, taste, and sight. Heart pounding, he began to crawl back toward the entrance of the cave, feeling cold in the damp cave. With no fur to protect him, the chilly air brushed up against his sweat covered skin.

Nanaki laughed. This was the first time he had ever "sweated" before. He decided it was a very disgusting sensation, and it caused the dirt on the cave floor to stick to him.

He caught sight of the light that revealed the cave opening and he headed toward it, his body aching, but eager to exit the cave. His heart beat solidly in his chest as he reached the entrance, a wide range of the things called "colors" that the humans had always mentioned flooding his vision. He couldn't tell which color was which, but he recognized Cosmo Canyon, no matter what "color" it was in.

He felt his lips twitch upwards when happiness seeped through him. A smile, he told himself. The humans called it a smile. Grabbing the cave wall for support, he began to drag himself up onto his human legs for the first time. He remembered managing this position when he had a tail, but he found it exceptionally harder without something to balance himself.

It was not long before he stood, leaning slightly on the cave entrance for support, looking down on his homeland, his shaggy red hair drifting slightly in the breeze.

Nanaki, son of Seto, was now a human, for better or for worse.

Raising his head to the wind, he let out the closest approximation to a howl as he could manage.


End file.
